The harsh winter has arrived, and the Sino-Indian border confrontation has entered its ninth month. Ignoring China's goodwill, India continues to send additional main forces, tanks, artillery and armored vehicles to the China-India border, and constantly sends signals to the outside world to strengthen confrontation. According to the news of India Today on January 12, The Indian Army Chief of Staff Naravan said that in the friction area of Leh, the Indian Army will not reduce the number of troops.
Heron drone
Recently, in order to gain an advantage in the border standoff, India has deployed a large number of drones previously purchased to the frontline airport around Pangongcuo Lake. Among them, the heron drone purchased from Israel is the mainstay.
According to the Russian Satellite News Agency reported on December 30, 2020, "Recently India has launched a cheetah program to upgrade the "Heron" unmanned aerial vehicle attack system and deploy it in the Pangong Lake area to deal with the threat of the territorial army", and the satellite also photographed the appearance of the "Heron" drone in the Indian Trishur Air Base.
There is reason to speculate that india's deployment of the "Heron" drone to the frontline airport of Pangongcuo Lake this time is a continuation of the "Cheetah" early planned action. The deployment of drones this time, enhancing the "attack system", makes Modi seem to have greater confidence in the Sino-Indian border confrontation, believing that India can take the initiative in the border confrontation. With regard to India's new deployment and India's high-level mentality, we should be more vigilant and must not take it lightly.
The question is, can a "heron" really be a "cheetah"? The "Heron" UAV is a large and medium-sized high-altitude strategic long-endurance UAV developed by the Israeli Malate subsidiary, which was officially put into use at the end of 1996 and officially entered service in the Israeli Air Force in March 2007.
Get a closer look at the Heron drone
From the technical parameters, the Heron UAV has a wingspan of 16.6 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of 1100 kg, can fly continuously for 30 hours, a maximum speed of 225 km per hour, and a maximum flight altitude of 9000 meters. There is no particular prominence in performance, and in today's UAV technology in China and the United States, the "heron" can only be regarded as a middle and lower level.
From the perspective of use, the Heron UAV is mainly used for real-time surveillance, electronic reconnaissance, radio interference, sea and air patrols and other tasks, and cannot be called "detection and combat integrated machine". When flying at high altitudes, its main role is still in reconnaissance and surveillance, providing information about targets before the attack, and the "herons" previously installed in India were mainly reconnaissance models. However, it is worth noting that India plans to invest up to 35 billion rupees (about 3 billion yuan) to enhance the "weapons attack system" for the heron, upgrading it to a drone that can carry laser-guided bombs and air-launched anti-tank missiles. In this way, the "Heron" UAV was upgraded to a "ChaDa" all-in-one machine.
A heron drone shot down
But Modi's self-confidence did not last long, and Pakistan told India with the facts that the "Heron" drone was equivalent to a target in front of Chinese missiles and basically had no escape ability.
Shortly after the "Heron" drone was deployed at trishul Air Base on the India-Pakistan front, Pakistan released the news that an Indian Heron drone was shot down near the India-PakistanI Line of Actual Control. And that wasn't all, and the next day another "heron" was shot down. Less than 5 days after the deployment, the "heron" purchased by India with heavy money was shot down by Pakistan for 2 consecutive times. Since India is greatly annoyed, it also makes Israel lose its face!
The reason why Pakistan can effortlessly shoot down the "Heron" drone has a lot to do with Chinese missiles. According to sources, Pakistan shot down the Indian Heron drone, the LY-80 air defense missile system it imported from China.
LY-80 at the Zhuhai Air Show
The LY-80 is a medium-range air defense missile weapon system consisting mainly of a search radar vehicle, a guided radar vehicle, a command and control vehicle, a missile launcher, and a barrel-mounted missile. It is mainly used to intercept various aircraft, cruise missiles, air-to-ground missiles and unmanned aerial vehicle targets, and provide regional air defense protection for ground forces and important facilities. ——The official introduction of LY-80 products on the website of Shanghai Academy of Aerospace Technology
This missile is an export version of the China Hongqi-16 air defense missile. In 2015, PAKISTAN purchased about 6 battalions of LY-80 anti-aircraft missiles from China for $350 million, and the first ones were delivered in 2017. At present, the LY-80 air defense missile has become the main air defense system of Pakistan with its excellent performance of high accuracy, long range and strong anti-jamming ability.
The "Heron" UAV, under China's powerful anti-aircraft firepower network, may be more used to provide "target drones" for China, and China is also equipped with many anti-drone equipment on the Sino-Indian border. India's intention to learn "drone" tactics from Azerbaijan in the Aramco conflict was good, but it clearly chose the wrong opponent.
"If you are belligerent, you will die, and if you forget to fight, you will be in danger"! For India's continuous small actions on the border, we must be highly vigilant, do a good job of full response, and must not underestimate the opponent too much. Because the life of every Chinese border guard is priceless!
Chinese border guards